A day to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day and Canadians are tweeting, texting, calling, using Instagram, Facebook and Snapchatting their stories to raise mental health awareness and end the stigma.

For each post —using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk on social media — Bell is donating five cents to community mental-health initiatives. Since the program began in 2011, more than $86.5 million has been donated to mental-health initiatives and more than 740,000 individuals have been given access to mental-health care.

It’s #BellLetsTalk Day – a time to keep having important conversations about mental health, and of course raise some money too! Mental health challenges affect us all. RT this to support programs across the country. pic.twitter.com/Kqm6vL172z

In the past these grants have helped programs such as the Hope Café in North Vancouver, the WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) mental illness recovery and self-management skills program in Kelowna and the Living Life to the Full for Youth course across B.C.

So far the Community Fund program has provided more than $7 million in grants and supported more than 740,000 individuals with access to mental health care.

Since the inception of Bell Let’s Talk, four out of every five Canadians have reported they are more aware of mental-health issues.

Jessica Samuels with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), says anytime communities have conversations or ‘get loud’ and talk about mental health it’s a good thing, and Bell Let’s Talk Day is a great resource for that.

“The funding aspect is also really great, we run a bunch of programs nationally and locally that give people the tools they need to embark on their mental-health journey,” she explains.

She credits Bell Let’s Talk day with being the springboard to helping end the stigma around mental health.

“We know the more we talk about it that stigma is reduced,” she says. “Since the event started, and we look at the conversations that were or were not had seven years ago, there is definitely a difference, and Bell Let’s Talk day has been integral in that.”

In Kelowna, Samuels says there has been a shift in how people handle mental health issues and conversations.

“People are talking about suicide in the community, youth suicide has been an incredible issue at a crisis level in our community and the more people are talking about it today and how that carries on throughout the year, there is a difference. The more we talk about it, the more people know they are not alone and they can get help.”

While Samuels believes Bell Let’s Talk is a day to have conversations about mental health, share their story and feel comfortable telling their stories so they can get support, she also hopes the conversation can carry through the remaining days of the year.

“We have to be able to talk about mental health, everyday and all year.”

Samuels explains the social aspect of Bell Let’s Talk provides a comfort level with people to share on social media, use hashtags and then there is a viral urgency which might dip off after today, but says it’s is OK because any time people are getting loud about mental health it’s helping to end the stigma.

For those struggling with any mental health issue, Samuels suggests talking to someone they feel safe with, whether that is a crisis line, a friend or a co-worker.

One in five Canadians will experience a mental health issue so severe they will need to seek mental health attention, while the other four will be profoundly impacted by it.

“If someone comes to you and asks for help, then we (CMHA) need to help them get that help,” she explains. “At CMHA we are not a clinic and do not provide clinical services, but we are a starting point and we can help provide a list of services that are available to them.”

However for anyone in immediate crisis, please call 911 or go to your local hospital.